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7. Moreover, it is said the companions who were with Rabbi Schimeon were numbered, and they were found
to consist of Rabbi Eleazer, his son; and Rabbi Abba, and Rabbi Yehuda, and Rabbi Yosi the son of Jacob,
and Rabbi Isaac, and Rabbi Chisqiah the son of Rav, and Rabbi Chiya, and Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Yisa.
8. They gave their hands unto Rabbi Schimeon, and raised their fingers on high, and entered into a field under
the trees and sat down.
9. Rabbi Schimeon arose and offered up a prayer. He sat in the midst of them, and said: "Let whosoever will
place his hand in my bosom." They placed their hands there, and he took them.
10. When he began, he said (from Deut. xxvii. 15): "Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten
image, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer
and say Amen!"
11. Rabbi Schimeon began, and said: "Time for Thee, O Tetragrammaton to lay to Thine hand." Why is it
time for the Tetragrammaton to lay to His hand? Because they have perverted Thy law. What is this, they
hath perverted Thy law?' The higher law, which is itself made void, if it be not carried out according to his
commands. Wherefore is this? (Or, as others read: Wherefore is this name Tetragrammaton here
employed? ) This hath been said concerning the Ancient of Days.
12. "For it is written, Deut. xxxiii. 29: 'Blessed art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee?' Also it is written,
Exod. xv. 11: 'Who is like unto thee among the gods, O Tetragrammaton?'"
13. He called Rabbi Eleazer, his son, and commanded him to sit down before him, and Rabbi Abba on the
other side, and said: "We are the type of all things" (that is, "we represent the three columns of the
Sephiroth;") "thus far are the columns established."
14. They kept silence, and they heard a voice; and their knees knocked one against the other with fear. What
was that voice? The voice of the Higher Assembly, which had assembled above. (For out of Paradise came
the souls of Me just thither, that they might hearken, together with the Schechinah of the Presence Divine.)
15. Rabbi Schimeon rejoiced, and said. "O Tetragrammaton! I have heard Thy speech, and was afraid! (Hab.
iii. 1). He hath said: 'It is therefore rightly done, seeing that fear hath followed; but for us the matter rather
dependeth upon love.' Like as it is written, Deut. vi. 5: 'And thou shalt delight in Tetragrammaton thy God.'
Also it is written, Mal. i. 2: "I have loved you.'"
16. Rabbi Schimeon said further: "'He who walketh, going up and down (from one house unto another)
revealeth the secret; but the faithful in spirit concealeth the word' (Prov. xi. 13).
17. "'He who walketh going up and down.' This saying meriteth question, because it is said, 'going up and
down.' Wherefore then I walketh?' The man is already said to be going up and down: what is this word
'walketh?'
HADRA RBA QDIShA (HA IDRA RABBA QADISHA); OR, THE GREATER HOLY ASSEMBLY. 61
KABBALA DENUDATA: THE KABBALAH UNVEILED
18. "For truly it is true concerning that man who is not stable in his spirit nor truthful, that the word which he
hath heard is moved hither and thither, like a straw in the water, until it cometh forth from him.
19. "For what reason?" Because his spirit is not a firm Spirit.
20. "But concerning him who is firm in spirit it is written: 'But the faithful in spirit concealeth the word.' (But
this phrase) 'faithful in spirit' denoteth firmness of spirit; like as it is said, Isa. xxii. 23: 'And I will fasten him
as a nail in a sure place.' Matter dependeth upon Spirit.
21. "And it is written, Eccles. v. 6: 'Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin.'
22. "For neither doth the world remain firm, except through secresy. And if in worldly affairs there be so
great need of secresy, how much more in the things of the most secret of secrets, and in the meditation of the
Ancient of Days, which matters are not even revealed unto the highest of the angels."
23. Rabbi Schimeon said, moreover: "I will not say it unto the heavens, that they may hear; I will not declare
it unto the earth, that it may hear; for certainly we are (the symbols of) the pillars of the Universe." 24. It is
said in the Arcanum of Arcana, that when Rabbi Schimeon opened his mouth, the whole place was shaken,
and his companions also were shaken.
CHAPTER II. OF THE CONDITION OF THE WORLD OF VACANCY.
25. HE manifested the Arcanum, and commencing, said, Gen. xxxvi. 29: "And those are the kings which
reigned in the land of Edom before that a king could rule over the children of Israel."
26. Blessed are ye, O just men! because unto you is manifested the Arcanum of the Arcana of the law, which
hath not been manifested unto the holy superior ones.
27. Who can follow out this matter? and who is worthy to do so? For it is the testimony of the truth of truths.
Therefore let all our prayers be undertaken with devotion, lest it be imputed (to me) as a sin, that I am making
this matter manifest.
28. And perchance my companions may speak unto me, because some objection may arise against these
words. For truly this work is not such a one as may be easily written down, so that by it may appear how
many kings there were before the children of Israel came, and before there was a king over the children of
Israel: how therefore doth this matter agree? And for this reason my companions have moved the question.
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